The Red and Blue Chair, designed in 1917, established a new visual language for modern furniture that emphasized modular construction and geometric simplicity. As a key figure in the De Stijl movement, Gerrit Rietveld translated these principles into both mass-produced objects and experimental residential structures, ultimately shaping twentieth-century Dutch architecture through his pursuit of functionalist design and industrial innovation.
Formative Years and Early Craft
Born in 1888 in Utrecht, Rietveld began his professional trajectory within his father’s joinery workshop, leaving school at age eleven to pursue technical training. Before establishing his own cabinet-making business in 1917, he worked as a draughtsman for the Utrecht-based jeweller C. J. Begeer. This period provided the technical foundation for his subsequent work as a furniture designer, where he sought to move away from handcrafted labor toward standardized, reproducible manufacturing processes.
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Joining the De Stijl movement in 1919 allowed Rietveld to align his aesthetic with neoplasticism, a shift clearly visible in the revised color palette of his furniture. His most notable architectural project, the Rietveld Schröder House, was completed in 1924 in collaboration with Truus Schröder-Schräder. Located at Prins Hendriklaan 50 in Utrecht, the residence utilized a conventional ground floor layout contrasted by an upper level featuring sliding walls, which eliminated permanent partitions to allow for flexible, reconfigurable living spaces.
Functionalism and Social Housing
By 1928, Rietveld departed from De Stijl to adopt the principles of Nieuwe Zakelijkheid. He joined the Congrès Internationaux d'Architecture Moderne, shifting his focus toward urban planning, social housing, and cost-effective prefabrication. Although he experimented with concrete slabs as early as 1927, economic constraints meant his large-scale designs for housing in Utrecht and Reeuwijk were not realized until the 1950s. Throughout this era, he continued producing furniture designs, including the Zig-Zag Chair in 1934.
Post-War Revival and Late Commissions
A retrospective exhibition of his work in 1951 triggered renewed interest in his earlier projects. During the final decade of his career, he completed several significant commissions, including the Dutch pavilion at the Venice Biennale in 1953, various art academies in Arnhem and Amsterdam, and the press room for the UNESCO building in Paris. In 1961, he formed a partnership with Johan van Dillen and J. van Tricht, which resulted in the construction of hundreds of residential homes.
Fast facts
- Born: 1888, Utrecht
- Died: 1964, Utrecht
- Movement: De Stijl
- Notable work: Rietveld Schröder House
- Awards: Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau (1954)
- Professional partner: Johan van Dillen
- Burial site: Utrecht (Soestbergen) General Cemetery
Questions readers ask
What defines the Rietveld Schröder House?
It is characterized by its flexible top floor, which replaces fixed walls with sliding partitions to modify living space.
What is the origin of the Gerrit Rietveld Academy name?
The Amsterdam art academy was renamed in his honor in 1968 after it transitioned into the higher professional education system.
Achievements
- Notable work: Rietveld Schröder House
- Notable work: Red and Blue Chair
- Notable work: Press room
- Worked as furniture designer, graphic designer and designer
